1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of recognition of spatial or planar shapes, and has for its object a device for the identification and classification of subjects having non-standardized variable shapes, as well as a process practiced with said device.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, shape recognition systems can in general automatically recognize geometric shapes or even an assembly of geometric shapes. Nevertheless, none of the existing systems permits, in the case of subjects having any shape whatsoever, rarely identically reproduced, effecting in a satisfactory manner a rapid and automatic identification and classification of said subjects based on their external shape.
Moreover, there exist various devices which can generate three-dimensional representations of subjects to be studied, based on taking account of a large number of data, effected in a three-dimensional manner, these data having all to be stored for ultimate reproduction of said representations.
Thus, these devices must have a memory of very large size as well as processing units having high computing power. The result is high cost of material and of operation such that they are an obstacle to profitable industrial use of said devices.
However, it is interesting, particularly in the field of clothing, to be able to produce a rapid classification of a large number of subjects, having non-standardized variable shapes, in a limited number of classes defined for example by means of preliminarily established statistical data, said classification becoming refined in the course of its repetitive use.
Moreover, it is also advantageous to be able to produce virtual images in three dimensions of the subjects to be studied, and particularly to be clothed, while using only a limited memory and processing only a limited number of data.